Restorative Justice After Road Trauma: Storytelling, Healing, and Justice

Presented by Open Circle (Centre for Innovative Justice, RMIT University) in partnership with Victoria’s Transport Accident Commission (TAC)

After a serious road collision, people are often left carrying complex feelings of grief, trauma, and unanswered questions about justice. For those who have experienced the death of a loved one or life-altering injury, traditional legal responses often fail to meet their deeper emotional and justice needs.

This webinar introduces a ground-breaking restorative justice program developed by Open Circle in collaboration with the TAC.

The program supports facilitated dialogue between people harmed by road trauma and the person responsible, offering a space for healing, recognition, and accountability. For situations where dialogue isn’t possible, the program also explores alternative narrative practices to address unmet justice needs.

Our presenters will take you inside the practice, showing how trauma-informed restorative justice works in real-world settings—and how narrative techniques are used to support both victims and responsible parties in their healing journey.

What We’ll Cover:

• The impacts of road trauma
• What does justice look like?
• Victims’ justice needs
• How restorative justice addresses harm
• The TAC Restorative Program - facilitated dialogue and participant story-sharing
• What is narrative practice and how does it inform restorative justice, including a conversation between Melanie Joosten and Katie Christensen about how narrative practices inform the restorative justice process
• Information from Lauren Giles (TAC) on how to refer to the program
• Q&A session

About the presenters

Katie Christensen - Lead Facilitator, Open Circle

Katie Christensen is a Wurundjeri woman who was born and raised on Dja Dja Wurrung Country in Central Victoria. Katie has extensive experience working in the domestic violence sector. Katie trained and worked as an Aboriginal health worker and a Koori maternity support worker and facilitated Kaalinya Inyanook, a mums and bubs group that focused on wellbeing and information for new mothers. Katie currently works with Open Circle as a restorative justice conference facilitator, embedding narrative therapy skills into the restorative justice process. Katie has a master’s degree in narrative therapy and community work.

Melanie Joosten – Program Manager, Open Circle

Melanie is a social worker, writer and researcher who supports the Centre for Innovative Justice’s work in the area of restorative justice. She manages the TAC’s Restorative Justice Program, which provides restorative justice for people who have experienced road trauma. Melanie also convenes the Oceania Community of Practice for Sexual Harm. This community of practice includes practitioners, academics and professionals from Australia and New Zealand, working to expand restorative justice as an option for victim survivors of sexual violence.

Lauren Giles – Program Lead, TAC

Lauren Giles is the Restorative Justice Coordinator at the Transport Accident Commission (TAC). Currently acting as Initiative Lead for the program, Lauren has worked across a range of complex client-facing roles at TAC.

She has supported individuals and families affected by serious and catastrophic injuries, including acquired brain injuries, and has led multidisciplinary care planning, return to work strategies, and high-stakes decision-making under compensation policy and legislation.

Date: October 1 2025

Time: 12.30 - 1.30 pm AEST

Where: online via Zoom. Link to be provided on day of meeting